he Embassy Visual Effects team created a short film several years back, titled Tetra Vaal. Directed by Neill Blomkamp, creator of Alive In Joburg, this piece is about a Robocop-like protagonist patrolling the streets of Johannesburg, combating violence while trying to uphold peace. As similar works of Neill Blomkamp, it seems he usually tells a story using science fiction to depict a socioeconomic catastrophe.

I remember when I was first introduced to Tetra Vaal, I immediately thought of how far the motion graphics industry had come to be able to produce such amazing results. Even by today’s standards, the details in this short are still astounding.

On a personal note, I noticed this robot closely resembles Briareos from one of my favorite Masamune Shirow mangas, Appleseed. I wonder if that similarity was an intentional attribute, or if this is just another one of those collective unconscious moments. Either way, brilliant work.